What will I learn?
The Common Law degree is designed for those who plan to practise law in common law jurisdictions such as England & Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Canada. It is not suitable if you wish to enter the legal profession in Scotland. The Common Law curriculum offers intellectual depth and has a range of flexible options. Philosophy is the systematic attempt to arrive at clear answers to profound questions about issues such as knowledge, life, morality, science and human nature using reason and argument. **Why study this course at the University of Glasgow?** The Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Common Law programme is an exacting intellectual discipline and offers a thorough grounding in key areas of the law. The degree can be studied to Ordinary level, requiring three years of full-time study, or to Honours level in four years of full-time study. We have an extremely successful and popular study abroad programme. Traditionally, more than 60% of our Honours students in a normal year take the opportunity to spend all or part of the third year studying law in another country. Many others participate in a summer school or other academic activity abroad. In all cases study abroad is integrated into the degree and does not involve an additional year of study. We host reading parties for students, usually in the Highlands, and have a flourishing undergraduate Philosophy Society. **Career Prospects?** The flexibility of the LLB (Common Law) at Glasgow, together with the emphasis on developing the key skills required by employers and the opportunities available to study abroad and to take part in placement opportunities, means that the degree provides a sound general foundation for a range of careers. These include the Civil Service, local government, journalism, industry & commerce, international institutions, administration, banking, insurance, social work and the police service. All Glasgow law students benefit from a dedicated employability programme, featuring tailored events focusing on various aspects of legal practice. These events feature a range of legal professionals from solicitors and barristers through to judges (many of whom are Glasgow graduates themselves). Law students at Glasgow may also gain real-world legal experience and an opportunity to develop their skillset through legal clinical projects run via the GO Justice Initiative. For those seeking to work as a lawyer in England & Wales, Ireland or Northern Ireland, the LLB (Common law) will provide an invaluable foundation in the academic study of law. If you intend to become a barrister in England & Wales, the LLB (Common Law) satisfies the Bar Standards Board requirements regarding the academic component of training based on a law degree. After completing our degree, you would then undertake the ‘vocational stage’ of training, which requires completion of a postgraduate Bar course. The final step in qualifying as a barrister involves a period of full-time training for one year (‘pupillage’). If you intend to become a solicitor, the LLB (Common Law) is currently recognised for the purposes of qualifying as a solicitor in Northern Ireland (the Solicitor course at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Belfast). To qualify for legal practice, you must pass additional examinations in the appropriate legal system before proceeding to professional training and qualification. These requirements will vary according to the intended jurisdiction for professional practice. You will develop transferable skills and attributes which will be valuable in your future career. These include the ability to evaluate arguments and interpret texts, the facility to be analytical, the skill to think and write clearly and precisely, and the capacity to question assumptions.
